Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1887-10-15
L,FssoArs DRIVEN BY STEAM.


why Should Oars Always Be Relied
Upon in the Surf
One Of the subjects now occupying the
attention of the officers in charge of the
life saving stations of the United States ia
the substitution of some other power for
propelling hfeboats through the surf than
the muscles of the crews, exerted through
long heavy oars. The proposition to sub
stitute steam launches for rowboats is not
q new one, but no practical attempt to
make the change has ever been made.
The proposition has simply been dis
cussed. The need Of something more
trustworthy than oars in the hands of
men who are drenched to the skin with
freezing salt spray, and exhausted, per-
haps, with long pull from the beach to
the wreck, and the exertions of getting
the sailors from the wreck into the boat,
is apparent to any one who considers the
subject. Even in a smooth sea it is no
small task for crew to force the big two
ton boat through the water. 1t is likely
that for sweepstakes of 800 on pleas
ant day they might row over three mile
Etraightaway course in an hour. But in
the face of winter gale, when men are
dropping from the rigging of stranded
vessel into the surf, and a minute delay
may mean the loss of human life, then
it is all that the crews can do to make
any Roadway.
To the ordinary observer the construc-
ton of a steam engine, boiler, shaft and
wheel fit to drive twenty-five foot boat
seems simple matter. 1t is, in fact,
easy to build a staneh steam launch of
that size. But steam launches are sup
posed to ride over the waves, while
ifeboat must frequently go through
them. Any ordinary sort of a steam
boiler fired by coal would be drowned out
by the first cnrler that dropped into the
boat. But that need not discourage in
ventors who want to use steam to drive
a ifeboat. Steam boilers can be heated
by petroleum or by compressed gas, and
these fuels, with the necessary air to
produce combustion, might be pumped
into water tight firebox. Nor need the
inventors confne themselves to steam en-
gines. Within year or SO exceedingly
compact and powerful engines, operated
by the explosion of crude petroleum and
air in the cylinder of the engine, have
come into use and are highly recon-
mended by those who have used them.
It is apparent that one of these machines
could be adapted to ifeboat, for Lieut..
Zalinski at Fort Hamilton proposed to use
one in the submarine torpedo boat with
which he is experimenting. Equally easy
to adapt to the purpose would be some of
the modern gas engines, in which the
power comes from igniting quantity of
Illuminating gas mixed with air.
A regular lifeboat, decked over at the
Eater line, built with compartments,
supplied with an iron keel for ballast,
might be fitted with steam engine. The
increase of weight would be an objec-
ton, but the increase of speed when
once she was afoat, and the comfort of
her crew, who would not be required to
wear themselves out at the oars, and the
certainty that the boat could meet even
the largest breakers when backing toward
the beach, and the fact that the compare
sively fresh crew could, if necessary, in
this the most critical point of the trip,
yet out couple Of oars to help keep the
boat bows on, are considerations that
would probably outweigh all objections.
New York Sun. N